MIDDLESBROUGH will prioritise quality over quantity when it comes to new arrivals this summer - with transfer negotiations progressing well despite the fact the window doesn't open until the middle of next month.

Boro made a very early transfer breakthrough this week, with the free signing of Luke Ayling confirmed after the right-back's hugely impressive loan spell at the Riverside in the second half of last season.

If the coming weeks and months go to plan for Boro, Ayling will be followed through the door by a central midfielder, a striker and a versatile forward player who is comfortable at No.10.

Emmanuel Latte Lath will start next season as first choice striker after his blistering end to the most recent campaign, but Boro remain in the hunt for what Kieran Scott describes as a "high level" centre-forward to join the ranks and provide competition for the Ivorian and Josh Coburn, who will be fully fit for the start of pre-season.

Boro's list of transfer targets was nailed down long before the end of the season. A midfielder - on the back of Lewis O'Brien's Nottingham Forest return - is a priority, with negotiations with the club's top target understood to be progressing well.

"We have a long list of players and are advancing with a few really early on," said Scott, Boro's head of football.

"We know who we want to sign already and are actively trying to do that."

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Twelve months ago, Boro's recruitment team faced the daunting challenge of having to overhaul the squad with key players and loanees departing the Riverside. This summer, the focus is on adding to what is already a strong squad, with Boro having ended the campaign strongly, finishing just four points outside the play-off places.

"It feels different this summer," admits Scott.

"Last summer felt like big changes, a lot of changes. Not only were we trying to strengthen the first team starters, we were trying to strengthen the squad around it. It's no secret the loans left a big hole that needed to be filled.

"But going into this season, I feel like we need to find four or five players who add real quality. That makes the squad better, your bench better. That's our focus going into the summer. We're pushing hard to try to do that as quick as we can, but obviously I'm not the only one in control of that. There's a lot of moving parts."

Scott added: "It was tough last year. We had to do so many. This year there's a different focus. The way the season ended it gave us a bit of a head start.

"There was an outside sniff (of the play-offs) but we knew really our work could start a bit earlier. Last year we were governed by the play-offs, we were splitting two lists, we were trying to work out all sorts of different variations.

"This time, we pretty much knew what we were doing so we've been working for months to get ourselves ahead of the game, so hopefully that's what we'll be in the next month or two."

Boro were delighted to kick-start their recruitment with the arrival of Ayling, who signed a two-year deal on Teesside. Ayling's arrival bolsters an already healthy backline, though Boro may yet decide to add another left-back to their ranks this summer.

Scott said: "We have to balance the squad. We'd struggle to be competitive in the division with a bunch of 21-year-olds, as much as it would be great for assets.

"Luke came in, he looked like he needed a bit of football and as soon as he got settled in he did brilliant.

"He's a really good guy off the pitch, he's someone we need and want in the dressing room. He brings a lot to the table. We're delighted and hopefully he can be a main player for us next season.

"Luke is 32, this is probably one of the last contracts he's going to get. It had to be right for him and everybody. There was naturally going to be a lot of interest. He clocked up eight assists for us in half a season. There's not many right-backs doing that.

"We felt he really wanted to come back, you could feel he enjoyed it here and felt at home. I wasn't surprised he stayed."